House
Study
Bill
562
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
JONES)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
creating
a
study
committee
on
the
feasibility
of
1
implementing
wildlife
crossings
at
certain
highway
2
locations.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
5085YC
(2)
91
th/ns
H.F.
_____
Section
1.
DEPARTMENT
OF
TRANSPORTATION
——
STUDY
COMMITTEE
1
——
FEASIBILITY
OF
IMPLEMENTING
WILDLIFE
CROSSINGS
AT
HIGHWAY
2
LOCATIONS.
3
1.
The
department
of
transportation
shall
convene
a
4
study
committee
to
produce
a
report
on
the
feasibility
of
5
implementing
wildlife
crossings
at
certain
highway
locations
6
with
high
rates
of
vehicle
crashes
involving
animals.
The
7
department
of
transportation
shall
file
the
study
committee’s
8
report
with
the
general
assembly
on
or
before
January
11,
2027.
9
2.
The
membership
of
the
study
committee
shall
consist
of
10
all
of
the
following
persons
or
that
person’s
designee:
11
a.
The
director
of
transportation.
12
b.
The
director
of
the
department
of
natural
resources.
13
c.
The
director
of
the
institute
for
transportation
at
Iowa
14
state
university
of
science
and
technology.
15
3.
The
study
committee’s
report
must
include
all
of
the
16
following:
17
a.
A
data-driven
ranking
of
the
highway
locations
in
Iowa
18
with
the
highest
number
of
vehicle
crashes
involving
animals.
19
Such
data
must
be
derived
from
information
the
committee
20
gathers
including
statistics
regarding
average
highway
traffic
21
volume,
animal
carcass
removals,
vehicle
crash
reports
for
22
crashes
involving
an
animal,
animal
habitat
and
migration
data,
23
and
any
other
data
the
committee
deems
relevant.
The
ranking
24
of
highway
locations
must
include
adjustments
for
unreported
25
vehicle
crashes
involving
animals.
26
b.
Recommendations
to
the
general
assembly
on
implementing
27
countermeasures
to
reduce
the
frequency
of
vehicle
crashes
28
involving
animals
at
specific
highway
locations,
or
within
29
specific
highway
corridors,
including
but
not
limited
to
30
constructing
highway
overpasses
or
underpasses,
and
adding
or
31
improving
fencing
along
the
highway.
32
c.
Preliminary
costs
and
crash-reduction
estimates,
33
including
benefit-to-cost
ratios
using
the
latest
cost-benefit
34
analysis
parameters.
35
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_____
d.
A
grant
request
strategy
and
timeline
aligned
to
1
applicable
federal
funding
schedules,
including
for
grants
2
awarded
by
the
United
States
department
of
transportation,
3
through
the
federal
highway
administration
for
the
wildlife
4
crossings
pilot
program.
5
4.
The
study
committee
shall
adopt
reporting
milestones
and
6
data
standards
to
utilize
while
studying
the
feasibility
of
7
implementing
wildlife
crossings
at
certain
highway
locations.
8
The
department
of
transportation
shall
make
available
on
9
the
department’s
internet
site
a
study
committee
dashboard
10
so
members
of
the
public
can
follow
the
study
committee’s
11
progress.
12
5.
This
section
is
repealed
July
1,
2027.
13
EXPLANATION
14
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
15
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
16
This
bill
directs
the
department
of
transportation
(DOT)
17
to
convene
a
study
committee
(committee)
with
the
department
18
of
natural
resources
and
the
institute
for
transportation
at
19
Iowa
state
university
of
science
and
technology
to
produce
a
20
report
on
the
feasibility
of
implementing
wildlife
crossings
at
21
certain
highway
locations
with
high
rates
of
vehicle
crashes
22
involving
animals.
The
bill
requires
the
DOT
to
file
the
23
committee’s
report
with
the
general
assembly
no
later
than
24
January
11,
2027.
25
The
bill
sets
forth
specific
requirements
for
the
committee
26
to
follow
and
specific
data
the
committee
must
analyze
when
27
making
its
report.
The
DOT
is
required
to
make
available
on
28
the
DOT’s
internet
site
a
committee
dashboard
so
members
of
the
29
public
can
follow
the
committee’s
progress.
30
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